I recently came across an uplifting story that I want to share with you. It’s about a young woman named Melissa Manier, who was working as a waitress at a restaurant in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to help pay her way through college. One day, she was waiting on an elderly gentleman who frequented the restaurant, a man by the name of Benjamin Olewine III. The two had never spoken to one another, but on this particular day, they did.
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During their conversation, Benjamin learned that Melissa was working her way through nursing school and struggling to pay her student debt. According to Benjamin, he admired Melissa’s determination to succeed and her demeanor. So much so, that he offered to pay off her existing loans, and cover the cost of the rest of her education.
As you would expect, Melissa was skeptical. After all, she had no idea who this man was, other than another friendly regular customer.
It turns out that Benjamin Olewine III is a millionaire and one of Harrisburg’s most generous philanthropists. He had donated money to causes all over town, and he was serious about paying for Melissa’s education and helping her realize her dreams of becoming a nurse.
Fast-forward a few years, hundreds of hours of study, and $20,000 in tuition payments from Benjamin—Melissa is now a registered nurse. Fittingly, she works at PinnacleHealth in Harrisburg, where the spine, bone and joint institute is named after a major donor. That donor’s name is Benjamin Olewine III.